An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
